Speculation: Olli Maatta

[FreeBobbyFarnham]

If Maatta keeps underperforming and showing no signs of improvement should we leave him unprotected for the expansion draft next year? I know that we're the opposite of deep on defense, but what if he struggles next year too, would it be smarter to let Vegas have him especially with that contract he has?

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[MrBurghundy]

Is there any compensation if one of your players gets picked?

 

[FreeBobbyFarnham]

Is there any compensation if one of your players gets picked?

Don't think so.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

He doesn't turn 22 until August. It takes time for even great defensemen to truly blossom. Have some patience.

 

[FreeBobbyFarnham]

He doesn't turn 22 until August. It takes time for even great defensemen to truly blossom. Have some patience.

That contract though..

 

[DesertedPenguin]

That contract though..

If a few years down the road it's a burden, the Penguins will still have options. Rob Scuderi and Justin Schultz were traded, don't forget.

 

[FreeBobbyFarnham]

If a few years down the road it's a burden, the Penguins will still have options. Rob Scuderi and Justin Schultz were traded, don't forget.

Schultz is a UFA after this year, as for Scuderi it's a miracle.

 

[Human]

OP, you need to relax a bit...

 

[BB88]

That contract though..

That's good/cheap #4D money these days, I really want to see him have a healthy offseason for once in his life and see how he can develop his game.

 

[Darth Vitale]

He doesn't turn 22 until August. It takes time for even great defensemen to truly blossom. Have some patience.

Yeah people are freaking out on this too much. He definitely needs to improve his skating and his confidence has maybe taken a hit. The real problem here is not that he sucks but that we made teh classic mistake: we started relying on him WAY too early. Now he's had some injuries and bad games and his confidence is down. We rushed him. At his age you don't give up on him yet. This is yet another classic Penguins Mgmt ****-up (as much from the previous regime as this one). We need to just back off, take pressure off the kid, let him work on his skating this summer, given him limited minutes until he shows he can avoid getting walked 3x a game.

 

[spcastlemagic]

He can't get it done right now, but I'm not worried about his future. Just needs an actual, good training, cancer and injury free offseason for once.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Then we are gonna complain that we don't have good young defensemans.. Chill guys

 

[PensandCaps]

Trade him, if no one wants him. Unprotect him. Hes garbage

 

[T1K]

It's pretty clear that he needs to work on his skating, that's the only hole in his game that I've noticed. He either needs to improve on his skating or change his game so that he doesn't get caught in situations that put him at risk of getting walked as frequently. I'm not worried yet. If he doesn't improve next year then that's when this can become a serious discussion.

 

[Will Hunting]

Currently, he is the worst defenseman left in the playoffs. I mean, the whole playoffs. He doesn´t belong on the ice right now. But give him a full offseason and judge from there. He is awful now, he won´t get it done now. It´s up to Sullivan to finally scratch him. Sullivan needs to be better, he was badly outcoached in game 1.

 

[Darth Vitale]

Look how long it took for Dumo to be truly ready and reliable, guys. We handled him the right way. We handled Maatta the wrong way. Doesn't mean he's not skilled and dosn't have upside at 21. He's got a long career ahead of him. Last thing you want to do is trade him off to some team like Chicago or Dallas who will develop him the right way, and he ends up causing us problems later or at a minimum making us regret we gave up on him.

 

[sf expat71]

Better yet, take him to the shed out back and put him out of his misery.

 

[Darth Vitale]

This thread is going nowhere fast. I get that people are frustrated with him but this is as much on the coaching staff as on the player.

 

[Will Hunting]

This thread is going nowhere fast. I get that people are frustrated with him but this is as much on the coaching staff as on the player.

Yep. Maatta is playing awful hockey. Sullivan is an idiot for playing him. As simple as that. Unfortunately, Dumoulin´s injury complicates matters. He should still be benched though, even if it means that both Pouliot and Schultz are playing. Maatta is useless now. Not only that, he´s hurting us every game.

 

[socko]

Would be a good race between him and Larry Murphy.

 

[KIRK]

Is there any compensation if one of your players gets picked?

In Maatta's case, it would be 4M of precious cap space that could be infinitely better utilized.

 

[FreeBobbyFarnham]

Yep. Maatta is playing awful hockey. Sullivan is an idiot for playing him. As simple as that.

I mean what do you want him to do? Sure he could dress Schultz who's an upgrade over Maatta atm, but what now that Dumoulin is most likely injured? Who do we dress now, Maatta or Pouliot? Do we call up someone from WBS? It's actually crazy that we got to this point come to think of it, especially with guys like Lovejoy, Cole, Pouliot and Maatta as our bottom 3.

 

[T1K]

In Maatta's case, it would be 4M of precious cap space that could be infinitely better utilized.

Good point, we could use another Chris Kunitz

 

[DeadPuckEra]

It's his skating, which has been poor from the get go. You don't become slower from not playing, you get rusty. As it stands, Olli Maatta is the anti-thesis of the direction this team is headed with being fast.

Maybe give him one more year, if he doesn't turn it up, which he most likely won't because again - it's his skating that is getting him in trouble - then you take what you can get for him. Or if it's that bad, you absolutely leave him open for the expansion draft and get out from that contract.

 

[Will Hunting]

I mean what do you want him to do? Sure he could dress Schultz who's an upgrade over Maatta atm, but what now that Dumoulin is most likely injured? Who do we dress now, Maatta or Pouliot? Do we call up someone from WBS? It's actually crazy that we got to this point come to think of it, especially with guys like Lovejoy, Cole, Pouliot and Maatta as our bottom 3.

It should have never come to this point, but yeah, as of now Dumoulin´s injury complicates matters. But I would still bench him, he is worse than both Schultz, Pouliot. The worst defenseman out of our 8 defensemen needs to sit, it´s that simple. He brings nothing to the table, only problems. Enough is enough.